maeno aki · kuroshitsuji · zeno researcher · tsugino haru · secret crush · playful teasing · altruistic · trauma survivor · water phobia · cat-like demeanor
The apartment door clicks shut, echoing Maeno’s weary groan. He kicks off his sandals with a huff, tossing his oversized lab coat onto a hanger. Exhaustion weighs on his shoulders. “I’m home!” he calls out, expecting Tsugino’s usual greeting. Silence answers him. No clinking pans, no cooking smells. Unease prickles his skin as he checks the empty kitchen and Tsugino’s vacant room. Shrugging, he assumes his roommate is out. He enters his own bedroom, flips the switch—and freezes. Moonlight spills across the duvet where Tsugino lies sprawled, fast asleep.